Rolling mill



E. HEIN ETAL Aug. 3, 1965 ROLLING MILL Filed Feb. 25, 1963 FIG.

X RINMRIMNN FIG.2

EWALD HE/N FRIEDRICH W. BUSCH In ventors flTTo/a/EY United States Patent 3,197,993 ROLLING MILL dorf, Germany, assignors to Siemag Siegener Maschinenbau G.m.b.H., Dahlbruch, Westphalia, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Feb. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 260,714 Claims priority, application Germany, Feb. 24, 1962,

. S 78,198 4 Claims. (Cl. 72-230) This invention relates to a rolling mill and, more particularly, to apparatus arranged to reduce the cross-sectional area of an elongated metallic workpiece by the rolling process.

In rolling mills having roughing, intermediate, and finishing sections, there are certain advantages to be obtained by .arranging the roll stands in the intermediate section in a side-by-side manner. However, this arrangement requires the use of repeaters or looping tables and when the stands have a common drive, the loops of rolled stock become very large, thus requiring large ta'bles. Such long loops affect the temperature of the stock adversely. Furthermore, the drive spindles are quite long and expensive. Also, the width of the building in which the rolling mill is housed becomes very wide, with attendant expense and waste of space. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art apparatus have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

It is, therefore, an outstanding object of the inv ntion to provide a rolling mill having a section of roll stands in side-by-side relation and having means readily to omit certain strands from the rolling schedule.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a rolling mill having a plurality of roll stands arranged in :side-by-side relationship, wherein the drive spindles are short and the looping tables are comparatively small.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a rolling mill having roughing, intermediate, and finishing sections, wherein the intermediate section has the roll stands arranged side-by-side and wherein, nevertheless, the building required is not unduly wide.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those gki'lled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto. r

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference :to one of its structural forms, as iilustrated by the accompanying. drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are somewhat schematic plan views of portions of a rolling mill embodying the principles of the present invention.

Generally speaking, the present invention involve the provisionof a rolling mill of the continuous type whose roll stands are grouped into roughing, intermediate, and finishing sections. Although the roughing and finishing sections have the roll stands arranged parallel and for straight-through operations, the. intermediate section has its roll stands arranged side-by-side and staggered in two parallel rows. Each pair of adjacent stands in different rows are connected to a single drive. Looping tables are provided on both sides of the rows for 180 guiding of the stock; a track extends beside one row of stands and carries a 90 repeater which can be moved along the row to serve any desired stand. Each of the looping tables is movable laterally away from the roll stands to permit the repeater to be moved into the normal table position. It is, therefore, possible to send the stock directly to the cooling bed or to" the finishing stands, omitting certain of the roll stands of the intermediate section.

Referring to the drawing, the rolling mill, indicated generally by the reference numeral 20 is shown as consisting of a roughing section 1, an intermediate section 2, and finishing sections 3 and 4 through which the stock '10 successively passes. In the roughing section, the roll stands 1a are arranged with alternate vertical and horizontal stands for straight-through operation. The finishing section 3 is provided with alternately vertical and horizontal roll stands 3a also aligned for straight-through operation; similarly, the other finishing sect-ion 4 is made up of alternate vertical and horizontal roll stands 4a with a straight pass line, The pass lines of the two finishing sections 3 and 4 are parallel and spaced and have guides 3b and 4b, respectively, leading to them from the discharge end of the intermediate section 2. A conveyor 12 by passes both finishing sections and leads to a cooling bed, not shown. The discharge ends of the finishing sections are connected by guides to rod reels, not shown.

The intermediate section 2 is made up of a plurality of horizontal roll stands 2a and 2b arranged in staggered, side-by-side relationship in two parallel, spaced rows. This results in a sinuous pass line .10. The axes of the roll stands 2a and 2b are parallel to one another and at right angles to the roll passes of the roughing section 1 and the finishing sections 3 and 4. Along the outer side of one row is arranged a series of 180 looping tables 5, while along the outer side of the other row is arranged a series of 180? looping tables 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d. The first roll stand of the intermediate section 2 is provided with its own individual drive 9, while the last stand is similarly provided. The remainder of the roll stands of the intermediate section are divided into pairs, each pair consisting of an adjacent roll stand from each row. Each such pair of roll stands is driven from a single motor which is regulated independently of the other drive motors.

The last roll stand of the intermediate section is provided with a 90 repeater 6 which is slida'bly mounted for motion in the direction of the arrow8 on a track 14 which extends parallel to the rows and is closely adjacent the row served by the looping tables 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d. Each of the last-named looping tables is mounted i or transverse movement in the direction of the arrow 7 on a carriage which is slidably mounted on a track 13. Be-

tween the tracks 14 is located a conveyor such as a roller table 11 leading to the finishing sections 3 and 4 or, alternately, to the conveyor 12 and the cooling bed.

The 90 repeater 6 and the looping tables 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d are each provided with its own actuating means, which may consist of an electric motor or a hydraulic cylinder. Associated with the first stand 2a of the intermediate section is a 90 repeater 13 which is fixedly attached to its foundation and is not adjustable in the manner provided for the repeater 6 and the looping tables 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d.

The operation of the invention will now be readily understood in view of the above discussion. Assuming that the product to be rolled is rod of a very small size, a billet will be introduced from a reheating furnace into the roughing section 1. Passage in a straight linethrough the alternately-arranged vertical and horizontal stands 1a will reduce its cross-sectional area and increase its length considerably. The stock 10 passes through the repeater 13 and is directed at a right angle to the pass line or" the roughing section l into the first stand 2a of the intermediate section. After passing through the first stand It is parallel to the second stand and is spaced both transversely and axially from it. The second and third stands constitute a pair which is driven from a common motor ata fixed speed. ratio. .The stock then passes successively through a 180 looping table, the fourth stand, the 180 looping table 60, the fifth stand, a 180 looping table, the sixth stand, the 180 looping table 6b, the seventh stand, a 180 looping table, the eighth stand, the 180 looping table 6a, the ninth stand, a 180 looping table, and, finally, through the tenth (or last) stand to-the 90 repeater 6. When this particular rolling schedule is used, the looping tables 6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d are close to their row of stands and overlie the track 14 and the conveyor 11, while the 90 repeater 6 is located beside the last stand. The stock 10 is directed at 90 to its pass line through the last stand and moves toward the finishing sections. Since the product is small rod, it is sheared into shorter lengths and these lengths are alternately presented by the guide 3b to the finishing section 3 or by the guide 4a to the finishing section 411; the stock would pass through the alternately-arranged vertical and horizontal stands of the finishing sections and would then pass into the reels. With this particular product, then, all stands would be used to obtain the maximum attenuation of the stock. Larger sizes of rod can be produced by by-passing'certain of the roll stands of the finishing section.

In producing larger sections, such as bar, it will be necessary to cause the stock to by-pass the finishing sections entirely and, for this purpose, the stock 10 will leave the 90 repeater 6 and pass over the conveyor 12 to the cooling bed. For, slightly larger sizes, the looping table "6a will be moved transversely over its track 13 to a position substantially removed from the track 14 and the 90 repeater 6 is then moved along the track 14 to a position adjacent the eighth stand formerly occupied by the table 60. The stock would not pass through'the last two stands. As larger and larger bar is to be produced, the 180 looping stands 6b, 6c, and 6d will be moved away from the track 14 and the 90 repeater 6 moved along the track to a position formerly occupied by the last looping table to be removed.

'It can be seen, then, that this arrangement permits the use of a relatively narrow building. Because of the drive apparatus being confined to pairs of stands, the drives spindles may be kept very short and inexpensive. Be cause of the individually-controlled drive to each pair, the rolling speed can be adjusted to maintain the looping tables of small size. With smaller looping tables, it becomes practical to make them movable to obtain the obvious benefits of the longitudinally movable 90 repeater for discharge of the product from any selected part of the intermediate section.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rolling mill, comprising (a) a roughing section having a straight pass line and having alternately-arranged horizontal and vertical roll stands, wherein the horizontal roll stands are parallel to one another,

(b) an intermediate section, I

(c) a finishing section having a straight pass line and having alternately-arranged horizontal and vertical roll stands, wherein the horizontal roll stands are parallel to one another and to the horizontal roll stands of the roughing section, the inter-mediate section having horizontal roll stands which are parallel to one another, but extending at right angles to the horizontal roll stands of the roughing and finishing sections, the roll stands being arranged in two paral, lel, spaced rows with 180 looping tables arranged along the outer sides of the rows,

(d) a first 90 repeater located between the outlet ot the roughing section and the first stand of the intermediate section, I

(e) a second 90 repeater located adjacent the last stand of the intermediate section, the second repeater having a longitudinal track extending beside one of the rows to enable the second repeater to be moved to selected positions along the row, the looping-tables which are located beside the same row as the second repeater being provided with transverse tracks to enable them to be moved to inoperative positions removed from the longitudinal track as the repeater is moved to selected positions.

2. A rolling mill as recited in claim 1, wherein the first stand and the last stand of the intermediate section are provided with individual drives, and the remainder of the stands are driven in pairs.

3. A continuous rolling mill, comprising (a) a set of roughing stands having rolls whose axes are parallel,

(b) a set of intermediate stands having rolls whose axes are parallel to each other and extend at right angles to the axes of the rolls in the other set,

(c) a set of finishing stands having rolls whose axes are parallel to each other and to the axes of the rolls in the set of roughing stands, the stands of the intermediate set being arranged in two parallel spaced rows,

(d) looping tables arranged on either side of the two rows,

(e) a repeater located on the discharge side of the final stand of the intermediate set and movable along a path parallel to the two rows, the looping tables which are located on the same side of the rows being movable transversely of the rows out of the path of the said repeater.

4. A continuous rolling mill as recited in claim 3,

wherein each repeater is mounted on a movable carriage and each carriage is individually driven.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/35 Smitrnans -3l.l3

FOREIGN PATENTS 1/ 21 France. 5/5 6 Germany.

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Examiner, 

3. A CONTINUOUS ROLLING MILL, COMPRISING (A) A SET OF ROUGHING STANDS HAVING ROLLS WHOSE AXES ARE PARALLEL, (B) A SET OF INTERMEDIATE STANDS HAVING ROLLS WHOSE AXES ARE PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND EXTEND AT RIGHT ANGLES TO THE AXES OF THE ROLLS IN THE OTHER SET, (C) A SET OF FINISHING STANDS HAVING ROLLS WHOSE AXES ARE PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER AND TO THE AXES OF THE ROLLS IN THE SET OF ROUGHING STANDS, THE STANDS OF THE INTERMEDIATE SET BEING ARRANGED IN TWO PARALLEL SPACED ROWS, (D) LOOPING TABLES ARRANGED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE TWO ROWS, (E) A REPEATER LOCATED ON THE DISCHARGE SIDE OF THE FINAL STAND OF THE INTERMEDIATE SET AND MOVABLE ALONG A PATH PARALLEL TO THE TWO ROWS, THE LOOPING TABLES WHICH ARE LOCATED ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE ROWS BEING MOVABLE TRANSVERSELY OF THE ROWS OUT OF THE PATH OF THE SAID REPEATER. 